Car roof



Aug. 7, 1928.

T. H. WILLIAMS CAR ROOF Filed Oct. 11, 1923 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 1,679,460 1'. H. WILL IAMS CAR ROOF Filed Oct 11, 1923 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 CAR ROOF med on. 11, 192:5

Patented Aug. 7, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THEBON H. WILLIAMS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS,

T0 CHICAGO-CLEVELAND CAR ROOFIN G COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A COR- PORATION OF DELAWARE.

can ROOF.

Application filed October 11, 1923. Serial No. 667,955.

The invention relates to freight car roofs and more particularly to roofs of a rigid allmctallic construction and has for its objects to provide a sheet metal roof which when assembled and applied to a car results in a rigid unitary structure which is not susceptble of longitudinal or lateral shifting movement relative to the car and which is secured to the car in such manner as to provide a strong and rigid reinforcing structure for the upper portion of the car framing A further object of the invention resides in the provision of a rigid metallic roof of the character described which may be conveniently assembled and which in its assembled arrangement combines with the car framing to provide a rigid unitary structure.

A further object of the invention is to pro vide a self-supporting rigid roofing structure which is des gned to dispense with the usual form of ridge pole and purlins, by substituting in the place thereof integrally formed die-pressed corrugations in the roof sheets so arranged as to reinforce the latter at the points where the ridge pole and purlins would be otherwise employed.

In addition to the general objects recited above the invention includes among its objects such other improvements and advantages in construction and operation as are found to obtain in the structure and devices hereinafter described or claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and showing, for purposes of exemplification, a preferred form and manner in which the invention may be embodied and practiced, but without limiting the claimed invention specifically to such illustrated instance or instances:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a car roof illustrating a preferred embodiment of the invent'on, portions of the same being broken away.

Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal section partially broken away, and illustrating the method of attachment of the roof sheets to the carlines and end plates and the manner of securing the running board saddle.

Fig. 3 is an end view of the structure illustrated in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of one of the carlines.

Fig. 5 is a side view of the same. i

Fig. 6 is a detailed transverse sectional view on line 66 of Fig. 7.

F1g. 7 isan enlarged fragmentary plan view of the eaves portion of the roof at a point where theroof sheets are secured to one another and to the carline.

. Fig. 8 is a transverse sectional view through the roof sheet and side plate of the structure illustrated in Fig. 7.

F1g. 9 is an enlarged sectional view on line 9-9 of Fig. 1. Fig. 10 is a top plan view of one of the intermediate roof sheets. I V

Fig. 11 is a side View of the same.

Fig. 12 is a top plan View of one of the end roof sheets. Fig. 13 is a side view of the same.

Referring to the drawings, the upper part of the car body framing, which is the supporting frame for the roof, comprises side plates which may be of Z-bar cross section, each side plate having a vertical longitudinal web 1, and an outwardly extending sub? stantially horizontal top flange 2 which is adapted to support and have secured thereto the eaves portion of the carlines and roof sheets. These side plates are united at the ends of the car by end plates 3 provided with inwardly extending horizontal top flanges 4. The end plates may be of any suitable character and are preferably of the form shown, and are arched from side plate to side plate across the car.

At suitable intervals along the side plates 1 are arranged carlines 9 whch are arched across the ridge, from side plate to side plate. Each carline has in cross section the form of an inverted channel. bar of U or trough like shape (Fig. 9), consisting of vertlcal webs or flanges 7 ,and a connecting top web 8 and at their eaves ends the carlines are provided with outwardly extending bottom "side flanges 9 which taper inwardly to merge into the vertical flanges 7 (Figs. 4 and 5). The

horizontal flanges?) at the ends of the carline are adapted to rest upon and be secured to the horizontal flanges 2 of the side plates (Figs. 7 and 8), the carline terminating at a point slightly short of the outer edge of the flanges 2 of the side plates. The inverted channel portion of the carlineis of constant dimensions across the car to a point a short distance from each side plate and the channeled portion is inclined downwardly to the side plate so that the channeled portion of the carline extends over only approximately one-third of the distance of the width of the top web of the side plate and the e zcess metal resulting from such inclining oi the channel of the carlines is taken up by the provision of the bottom flanges 6 and 9.

The carlines 6 are or may be die-formed of one integral piece of sheet metal, being pressed into the permanent form shown. The horizontal flange portions 9 of the carlines are perforated at 10 for riveting to the side plate flanges 2 by bolts or rivets 11.

" The top webs 8 of the cal-lines are perforated at 12 for attachment to the roof sheets, the latter being preferably riveted to the earline as at 13.

The structure above described supports a plurality of intermediate and end roof sheets 1a and 14 respectively which extend in side by side relation transversely of the car. The intermediate roof sheets 1d are formed at their side edges with seam flanges comprising preferably vertical flanges 15 which are preferably in contact with the sides of the vertical carline webs 7, and these flanges 15 of the roof sheets are continued to form horizontal flanges 16 adapted to overlie the horizontal top webs 8 of the carline. The top flanges 16 of the roof sheets are perforated at 26 for the reception of the bolts or rivets 13 for rigid attachment to each other and to the carlines 6. At one side of each roof sheet one of the top flanges 16 terminates in a downturned flange portion 17 which is designed to overlap and rest closely against the vertical flange portion 15 and horizontal flange portion 16 of the next adjacent roof sheet (Fig. 9) to form a tight water-excluding structure. The top flange portion 16 of each roof sheet at the side opposite to the flange portion 17 terminates at a point short of the vertical web 7 of the carline as indicated at 18. (Fig. 9). The horizontal web 16 at one edge of the roof sheet makes contact with and rests upon the carline and is in turn overlapped in metal to metal contact by the horizontal flange 16 and downturned flange 17 of the next adjacent roof sheet. Each end roof sheet 14 terminates at one side in a depending arched flange 19 and the outer side edges of the end roof sheets are perforated at 20 for attachment by rivets 21 to the horizontal top flange 22 of end members having vertical flanges 23 adapted to be secured by bolts or rivets 2 1 to the vertical portions of the end plates 3 (Fig. 2). This construction results in a rigid and water-tight structure at the ends of the car, the admission of water being prevented by the downturned flanged portions 19 of the end roof sheets.

The eaves portions of the roof sheets are perforated at 25 to be riveted or otherwise rigidly secured to the top flange 2 of the side plates by the bolts or rivets 11. The eaves edges of the roof sheets are downturned to form depending flanges 31 which effectually prevent the admission of water and foreign matter to the space between the roof sheets and the side plates and to the interior of the car. The side flanges l5 and top flanges 16 of the roof sheets are formed to fit tightly over the cal-lines and these flanges are of constant dimensions throughout the greater portion of their length but the side flanges 15 are gradually diminished in depth for a distance equal to substantially three times the width of the side plate and is so diminished that the end of the inverted channel defined by said flanges is s cured over the side plate so that it extends over only substantially one-third of the width of the side plate and that third being at the side innermost to the interior of the car.

The usual running board 27 is provided and is bolted as at 28 to the running board saddles 29 at a point adjacent each of the car-lines. Each running board saddle 29 is perforated at 30 for the reception of the rivets 13 and by means of which the running board saddles and the running boards carried thereby are rigidly secured to the carlines and the roof sheets. The running board saddles are offset as at 31 to provide a clearance for the heads of the rivets or bolts 13 below the running board (Fig. 9).

As a means for insuring the further rigidity of the roofing structure described, and if desired to dispense with the usual ridge pole and purlins generally employed, each roof sheet is provided with a plurality of strengthening corrugations. These corrugations may be of any desired form and number and are preferably of the form shown. As illustrated, the intermediate roof sheets are provided with central stiffening corrugations 3:2 and outer longitudinally extending stiffening and reinforcing corrugations The corrugations 32 are preferably cruciform in configuration and the corrugations 33 are preferably rectilinear and are arched or bowed on their inner sides to facilitate the drainage of water from the roof and to prevent the accumulation of dirt and foreign matter on the roof sheets. The end roof sheets 14 may be provided with only the rectilinear corrugations.

It will be apparent that, from the roof sheet construction described, I have provided a firm and rigid roofin which is so combined with the upper portion of the car framing as to effectually withstand longitudinal and transverse shifting movements and in which the usual ridge pole and purlins are eliminated. without sacrificing any of the frame supporting and Weight resistfill Ill)

ing qualities whicharedesirable and necessary n a roof constructlon of this character.

The invention as hereinbefore set forth is embodied in a particular form of construction but may be variously embodied within the scope of the claims hereinafter made.

What I claim is z a 1. In a car roof, in combination: a roof frame comprising side plates, carlines arched from side plate to side plate and channeled on their under sides and formed only at their eaves ends with lateral bottom flanges, and formed between said lateral flanges to provide flat web and two depending vertical sides, the portions of the flat web. of the carlines adjacent the side platesbeing inclined downwardly and merging into the said lateral bottom flanges thereof, roof sheets formed with seam flanges enclosing the tops and the sides of the carlines; only one of said flanges enclosing all of one side and the top of a carline and a portion only of the other side of the carline in metal to metal contact with the enclosed adjacent parts, said sheets depending down on the outer sides of said side plates; means for rigidly fastening together the seam flanges of said roof sheets with each other and with the tops of said carlines, and'means for rigidly securing said roof sheets to said side plates. 7

2. in a car roof, in combination: a roof frame comprising side plates, carlines arched from side plate to side plate, each carline in volving a top portion and two side portions, the top portions of each carline adjacent the side plates being inclined downwardly towards the side plates, the'side portions of the carline being formed at their eaves ends only with lateral bottom flanges which progressively increasein width from points adjacent the inner edges of the side plates to sub tiaily the ends of the carlines; roof sheets formed with seam flanges enclosing the tops and a portion of the sides of said and in close contact with said in Cl'lIlGa'l portions of thecarlines and depend ing down on the outer sides of said side plates; means for securing rigidly together the seam flanges with said carlines and with said side plates; and a running board disposed above said roof sheets and said carlines and rigidly secured thereto.

3. In a roof structure, in combination, side plates, arched carlines of inverted channel shape, the channels of each of the carlines decreasing in depth adjacent their eaves edges and terminating intermediate the edges of the side plates to which'the carlines are secured, each of the sides of the channels being bent so as to form lateral bottom flanges increasing in width as the channels decrease in depth. roof sheets formed with flanges enclosing the tops and sides of the carlines, one of every two meeting root sheets having a side flange and a top flange and the other sheet having a side flange, a top flange, and portions engaging the side flange of the first mentioned sheet, allot sait flanging being in metal to metal contact with adjacent parts, andv means for rigidly securing both of said sheets together and to the top of the associated carline. a 4. A car roof comprising side plates,'carlines supported by said side plates, and a plurality of roof sheets carried by said carlines, said roof sheets being each provided with a cruciform corrugation adjacent to the ridge of the root and longitudinal corrugations at each side thereof, saidcorrugations respectively stiffening the sheets at the regions of the usual ridge pole and purlins.

5. A car rool' comprising side plates, carlines supported by said side plates, and a plurality of roof sheets carried by said carlines, each of said roof sheets being provided with a corrugation adjacent the ridge of the roof and with longitudinal corrugations at each side thereof, said corrugations respectively stiflening the sheet in the region of the usual ridge pole and purlins, the side of the longitudinal corrugations nearest the eaves edges of the root sheets being substantially straight and the side of the longitudinal corrugations nearest the ridge of the roof being curved.

6. A car roof consisting only of side plates; inverted channeled carlines consisting only of a flat top web and two flat vertical side webs, said top web being inclined downwardly adjacent the side plate but maintaining a constant width, the excess metal resulting from the inclination of the top web being turned into lateral bottom flanges for engaging the top of the side plates; roof sheet sections therefor consisting of end sections and intermediate sections, said intermediate sections having depending eaves edge flanges and upstanding side flanges, one side flange comprising an upwardly extending portion that makes metal to metal contact with the entire surface of the adjacent side web or" its carline, and a top flange portion thatm'akes metal to metal contact withthe flat top web of the carline; the otherside flanging comprising an upwardly projecting portion that makes metal to metal contact with the side web of the carline adjacent it and a top portion that makes metal to metal contact with all of the top portion and a portion of the upwardly projecting portionof the flanging of the next adjacent roof sheet section, said side edge flanging portions of said sections being riveted to the top webs of the carlines.

7. A car roof comprising in combination, side plates, channel shaped carlines, each having a substantial horizontal web and roof sheets extending from side plate to side plate, the lateral edges of the roof sheets intermediate the side plates terminating in continuously extending upwardly flanged portions having a substantially horizontal web, the flanged portions of the sheets adapted to be mutually engaged to enclose the carlines, the webs of each ofthe said portions and of the earlines being inclined downwardly and outwardly adjacent the eaves edges of the sheets toward the side plates and merging into the general plane of the roof inwardly of the outer edge of the side plates.

8. A car roof comprising side plates, carlines extending transversely of the car and supported by said side plate, and a plurality of roof sheets carried by said carlines and provided with corrugations extending longitudinally of the car, said corrugations being; each formed with a rectilinear reinforcing outer side and an inner curved inclined water-shedding inner side.

9. A car roof comprising side plates having substantially horizontal portions, carlines having upwardly extending portions, and roof sheets extendiue from side plate to side plate, the lateral edges of the sheets intermediate the side plates terminating in continuously extending upwardly flanged portions adapted to be mutually engaged to enclose the carlines. the upwardly flanged portions of each of the sheets and the upwardly extending portions of each of the earlines decreasing in height from a point adjacent to and inwardly of the side plates and merging into the general level of the roof intermediate of lateral edges of the horizontal portions of the side plate.

' THERON H. TVILLIAM S. 

